seriously frustrated right now

[sheeshshe]

if it ever stops raining, I will do the diatomaceous earth. seriousl;y. it just won't stop! well, it stopped and then it started again. supposed to be this way as far out as I can see on the forecast

[sheeshshe]

OK, I lied. I just looked again, and looks like saturday and beyond should finally be good!

[rainbowgardener]

what's happening to your lupines and hollyhocks definitely sounds like cutworms. You can prevent cutworm damage by putting a little collar around each one when you plant it:

https://organicgardening.about.com/od/pestcontrol/qt/cutwormcollars.htm

Remember the eggshells for the slugs while you are waiting for things to dry out...

[GardenRN]

I have been going out at night on "slug hunts". I started with salt, but didn't want to salt my whole garden. So now I just take out my fishing filet knife and slice them in half. It's quicker than salt and saves the soil the hassle.

I thought it would be an endless chore, but honestly, after the first few nights, I have definitely noticed a difference in the numbers I am killing. The first few nights I probably killed about 50 or 60. Now I may get 10, max. And 10 slugs can't do that much damage to the garden.

You'll learn where to find them too. The slugs by me particularly love the onions. There are ALWAYS 3 or 4 over there. The do like all the things you mentioned, but because there's not much competition anymore, most of mine can be found on one side of the yard. Good luck!

[rainbowgardener]

And 10 slugs can't do that much damage to the garden.

You would be amazed the amount of damage ONE slug can do!

[mattie g]

Well, I guess it makes sense that slugs could do that to seedlings so small. That's one of the advantages to starting everything indoors. I don't put out any tiny seedlings, so they are a bit less vulnerable to stuff like that. By the time I put them in the ground, they are too big for cutworms and too big for slugs to destroy them like that (even if they do get holes in the leaves)

I don't have the luxury of starting indoors (no indoor setup), so I buy tomato, pepper, and herb plants, and just sow cukes directly in the ground. Believe me...I'd love to have an indoor seed-starting setup!

I hope sheeshe find and "eliminates" the culprit!

[sheeshshe]

Ok, so if it were cut worms, aren't I supposed to dig around the plant and find the worm? I don't' see anything. and I didn't see anything when one chopped my tomato plant either. UGHH

[hendi_alex]

I've never seen damage by any other critter that resembled the damage of a cut worm. Cut worm damage that I've seen always has a near clean cut near the ground, with the cut portion of the plant sprawled on the ground beside the cut stem. The stem and root system remain intact.

If the plant top is entirely gone, then it is likely a bigger critter like a rabbit. Snails will eat an entire young bean plant, but it usually takes a few days, and the stem is usually left standing. A rabbit or deer will nibble the whole plant including the stem down to the ground. If the entire plant is gone, and there is a small hole where the stem used to be, the problem is often coming from a vole which runs in a mole tunnel and eats 100% of the plant, starting with the root and pulling the plant down into its feeding tunnel.

[tomf]

If it is slugs you will see some slime near the plants. It sounds like the kind of damage slugs do. You could also put beer traps out, place beer in something that the slugs can get into but not out of like a bowl. Slugs love beer and will drink them selfs to death or actually crawl in and drown.

[rainbowgardener]

Ok, so if it were cut worms, aren't I supposed to dig around the plant and find the worm? I don't' see anything. and I didn't see anything when one chopped my tomato plant either. UGHH

I don't think they are always that easy to find, being brownish in brown soil. But the collar prevents them from getting to your seedlings.

[sheeshshe]

OK, I put a few collars out on my daughters things.


I have 2 things going on, the chopped things (cutworm) and the vanishing cucumber leaves. so I think there are 2 separate things going on.


I have some neem oil, I might try my hand at that next.

[missymiss99]

Because you get so much rain and the Diatomaceous Earth will wash away. try a ball covered in pennies. It repels snails and slugs . Follow the link on how to. But you don't have to use a bowling ball I would use a cheaper weight. hope it helps you out. https://bethevansramos.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/penny-bowling-ball/